One of the many things that make Republicans and conservative unhappy these days is that we no longer can set the country's agenda.

In other words, we have virtually no say in the ongoing debates and discussions about national and international policy.

With the Democrats in control of not only the White House, the House, and the Senate but also the so-called mainstream media, they decide what to talk about, who does the talking, and — most importantly — which "opponent" to quote.

That way, they can misquote or take out of context something Rush Limbaugh says or some GOP senator says and make the GOP out to be "mean-spirited" or angry. (And sometimes we do sound mean-spirited or angry!)

Yes, we have talk radio and Fox to air "our" side, but the problem is that we are talking to ourselves! Period! The same 30 percent of the American electorate are talking to each other, with the other 70 percent watching other networks or listening to other shows.

Simply stated: We don’t count, at the moment.

And we will count only when our side — that 30 percent — grows into the 40-something percent and the other side drops into the low 50-percentile category.

So we have to wait. And it is an odd feeling. Do you/we actively root for the Democrats and liberals to fail? Because that means the country fails. Or do we root for success, knowing that that success means that we will remain in the “wilderness” for years or perhaps decades to come?

Here is one thing we know: President Obama’s lurch to the left cannot work in the long run. Failure in the form of massive inflation, cheapening of the dollar, and high interest rates is certain to come from this type of massive federal involvement.

When does this failure happen? Soon enough to derail Obama in 2012 — or does he leave a devastating legacy after he has his face engraved on Mount Rushmore at taxpayers' expense?

No one knows. But one-party rule, with virtually rubber-stamped media coverage, can only lead to disaster.